1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hairbrush having three functions and more particularly to a hairbrush used for brushing to comb hair, blow-drying to stretch hair and add luster to the hair using warm air from a hair dryer, and curling to give curl to hair by using warm air from the hair dryer.
2. Description of Prior Art
A hairbrush generally comprises thick and hard bristles provided sparsely on a semicylindrical brush base. This semicylindrical brush base is to reduce frictional resistance between the bristles and the hair, thus facilitating passage of the hair and preventing damage to the hair. Moreover, in most hairbrushes, the hard bristles and the brush base are made of synthetic resin so as to reduce frictional resistance between the hard bristles and brush base and the hair.
For blow-drying, a hairbrush in which thick and hard bristles are implanted in a semicylindrical brush base made of soft resin such as silicon rubber or made of rubber is used. Hair is pushed against the brush base such that the hair is brought into contact with the brush base so as to apply tension to the hair by frictional resistance between the brush base and the hair. Another Type of hairbrush having about three times as many thick and hard bristles as the hairbrush for brushing to increase the frictional resistance between the hard bristles and the hair is also used. With these hairbrushes, the tension is applied to the hair by frictional resistance while the hair is exposed to warm air from hair dryer to stretch the hair, thus adding luster to the hair.
However since the thick and hard bristles and made of synthetic resin, the tension is less likely to be applied to the hair. In a case of curly hair, the hair slips and a state in which the hair is applied with tension is likely to be broken and it is difficult to straighten the hair. Therefore, strong blow-drying cannot be applied.
There is a roll bristle brush formed by implanting animal hair in bunches on a brush base formed of a round rod so as to form a roll-shaped brush. This roll bristle brush can apply strong blow- drying. However, frictional resistance between the brush and the hair is too large, and the hair cannot pass smoothly.
In order to curl long hair such as woman""s hair, a side portion of the hairbrush formed of hard bristles is used. The hair is bent while the tension is applied to the hair, and the hair is curled while the bent portion of the hair is exposed to warm air from a hair dryer. However, there is no hairbrush that can apply a tension that is strong enough to cause the hair to bite into the side portion of the hairbrush.
In order to curl short hair such as man""s hair, a hairbrush for brushing is used to comb and arrange the hair. Then, the hair is caught and bent by a hairbrush for setting in which animal hair is implanted in bunches and the bent portion is exposed to the warm air from a hair dryer to give curl to the hair.
With the hairbrush for brushing, it is possible to comb the hair; but it is difficult to catch and bend the short hair or to suppress springing up of the hair. On the other hand, with the hairbrush for setting made of animal hair, the end of the animal hair cannot reach scalp, and it is impossible to comb the hair.
Furthermore, when curling short hair using two hairbrushes, one for brushing and one for setting as in a conventional manner, it is impossible to catch the hair by the hairbrush for setting immediately after combing and arranging the hair by the hairbrush for brushing. Therefore, the hair is likely to be disarranged, and it is necessary to change the hairbrush from one to the other many times.
As described above, because to hairbrushes described above respectively have different functions, it is necessary to use a plurality of hairbrushes in combination to apply desired treatment to the hair.
The hair has a property of softening when warmed and a property of hardening when cooled. Therefore, it is possible to correct curl of the hair or to curl the hair by straightening or bending the hair by using the hairbrush when the hair is warmed and cooling the hair as it is to allow the hair to harden. The stronger the tension applied to the hair by the hairbrush is in warming or cooling the hair, the more the hair is stretched and the easier the curl of the hair can be corrected or the hair can be curled. Therefore, a hairbrush that can apply strong tension has been desired.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hairbrush that can be used for brushing, blow-drying, and curling and can apply strong tension to the hair.
The hairbrush of the present invention comprises a brushing portion and a tension applying portion; and the brushing portion is formed by implanting thick and hard bristles on a brush base such that the frictional resistance between the brushing portion and hair is reduced and the hair can pass smoothly through the brushing portion; and the tension applying portion is formed by implanting thin and elastic bristles next to the brushing portion in the circumferential direction such that the frictional resistance between the tension applying portion and hair is increased so as to apply tension to the hair.
As a result, because of the tension applying portion that is right next to the brushing portion, it is possible to immediately apply tension to the hair by using the tension applying portion without shifting the hairbrush from one hand to the other. Moreover, because the tension applying portion is formed by implanting the thin and elastic bristles and the frictional resistance between the tension applying portion and the hair is large when the hair bites into the tension applying portion, a strong tension can be applied to the hair.
According to the present invention, in addition to the structure described above, brush bristles are provided throughout the outer peripheral face in a circumferential direction of the brush base, so that about a half of the brush bristles are the hard bristles to form the brushing portion and the rest of the bristles are the thin and elastic bristles to form the tension applying portion.
As a result, it is possible to freely change the amount of hair biting into the tension applying portion.
Furthermore, in the present invention the tension applying portions are formed in opposite side positions of the brush base which face each other.
The tension applying portions on the opposite sides can be properly used depending on the circumstances.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a hairbrush wherein a small gap is provided between the brushing portion and the tension applying portion. Also, bunches of the tension applying portion may be implanted so as to be inclined and a small gap may be provided between the tension applying portion and the brushing portion.
As a result, the tension applying portion positioned on the front side does not accidentally tangle with the hair when the hairbrush is pulled forward for blow-drying or curling the long hair. Thus, the hairbrush is easy to use.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a hairbrush wherein the brush base is a cylindrical column, and the brush bristles are provided throughout the outer peripheral face in the circumferential direction of the brush base, with the part of the brush bristles being the thin and elastic bristles to form the tension applying portion and the rest of the brush bristles being the hard bristles to form the brushing portion.
As a result, the tension applying portion can be positioned on either side of the brushing portion when the brush base is rotated and the position of the tension applying portion is changed. Thus, it is easy to use the hairbrush.
Moreover, the present invention provides a hairbrush wherein the brush base has a semicylindrical shape, and the tension applying portions are provided on both sides of the brush base, with the bristles at the one tension applying portion being long, and the bristles at the other tension applying portion being short.
As a result, it is possible to use different elasticity of the tension applying portions by changing the tension applying portion to use.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a hairbrush wherein the handle portions are provided on both sides of the brush base so as to be on the tip end side and on the base end side.
As a result, by changing the handle portion to hold from one to the other, the orientations of the tension applying portions are changed, and the tension applying portion that is closer to a person applying the treatment to the hair is changed (positions of the portions are reversed). Therefore, the bristles of different length can be used.
Still furthermore, the present invention provides a hairbrush wherein the bristles in the tension applying portions are animal hair, and the bristles are not cut at tip ends thereof to the same length.
As a result, biting of the bristles into the hair is facilitated.